EverQuest Next: gamers should want all their MMOs to be free, says Georgeson

EverQuest Next development director David Georgeson has stressed that gamers should want all of their MMOs to be free in a new interview. His belief is that free-to-play models force developers to raise the quality of their products.

It follows Georgeson’s statement that he’s “hugely interested” in VR tech. That’s not to say that the MMO will feature some form of VR control, but you never know.

Speaking with IGN, Georgeson said, “There’s nothing wrong with the subscription model. I have personal opinions, which I’ll go ahead and share because I’m just that cocksure of myself. I think that free-to-play is the way that gamers should want their MMOs to be, and the reason I think that is that if we don’t do a really good job and we don’t entertain the player, we don’t make a dime.

“We’re effectively street performers: we go out there and sing and dance and if we do a good job, people throw coins into the hat. And I think that’s the way games should be, because paying $60 up front to take a gamble on whether the game is good or not? You don’t get that money back.

“So if you buy a turkey, you’ve just wasted your money. With free-to-play you get to go in, take a look at it and find out. It’s entirely our responsibility to make sure you’re entertained. That’s the way things should be in my opinion with free-to-play.”